Ace of Spades
by Mari Kazara
Summary: Near stays at a hotel were several distubances have been taking place. Now the ghost wants to talk to Near and goes by the name Ace of Spades. But why does the room seem to smell strange when he's near---like burnt chocolate.
1. Chapter 1

Ace of Spade chapter 2

Ace of Spade

_Four boys went to school_

_And studied all to be learned_

_Four boys travel out to the world_

_But only one returned_

_One's heart was broken_

_One to ashes, was burned_

_One to battle and was shot_

_Only one returned_

_There was only one who returned?_

Near had given up dominos sometime ago because they were rather difficult to carry around place from place. Though he had he kept with the habit of stacking as he found it an excellent form of concentration switching from dominos to cards which were light and very easily to pack and available almost everywhere. He usual used tarot card but of late he had switch to playing cards

At the moment he was involved in a rather difficult case that resulted in a rather breathtaking large castle of cards. This always occurred in difficult cases, for Near found that with each placement of a card on top of another, a new thought would emerge in his head.

For a card was very much like observance or idea of something. When laying flat could only have two sides, but lay on its tip with another card and it has four sides. Lay one on top and there are seven sides. It could continue on and on as long as the party concerned is willing.

Most minds look at thing two ways at the most, but a trained mind like his must look at things in ways that other never knew existed.

Near had reached the top of his latest castle consisting of twenty-three decks of playing cards. He had only one card left to figure out this case. He slowly turned over the last card; it was an Ace of Spade. When using ordinary playing cards to see prophecies of the future the ace of spade means forthcoming death.

A small smile played across Near's lips as he placed the last card on the top of the deck. It was always only a matter of time, one had to only to look long enough and think hard enough and the answer would come.

Near turned on the laptop computer that was on the table to the left of him and flipped open the cover. The screen flash on to show a large empty room with a solitary figure surrounded by several discarded cups of coffee.

Near pressed the button on his computer to activate the speaker that connected to the computer placed in this room purely for the purpose of communication between him and this location.

"Anthony, I need you to gather everyone back into the room. I've solved the case," Near said calmly into the mouth piece attached to his computer.

"Right," Anthony replied and left the room, returning with a crowd of people that completely fill the table where the computer was set. This group of people had once been the Special Provision for Kira and the few members of the police force who knew Near's physical appearance. They had become his voice to the world, as well as a well formed team against world-wide crime.

" I have come to the conclusion that Paban Noyes hid the money inside the Count Ladrón de Guevanafamily crypt," said Near.

"But we looked in there," said Halle.

"We didn't look inside the coffin, in the decayed bodies to be exact," said Near.

"In the bodies?" asked Ide, unable to conceal his amazement.

"When we found Paban's body, among his things was a tire jack. And since he was traveling by foot it puzzled me. A man does not carry such a thing for no reason. I examined the tire jack and found a fine white dust covering it that could only be made by stone, an aged stone obviously crumbling.

So where is the only place where he could hide a bag of precious diamonds worth 10 million dollars, diamonds who he had already killed 22 people for? The answer is in a place where most locals fear was haunted by strange and vengeful ghosts, in the crypt of Count Ladrón de Guevana, in his family to be more precise.

But the stone covering the coffin was too heavy for one man to lift, so he got a tire jack and lifted the stone lid up. Then he placed the diamonds in several bag and divide them amongst the family."

"You mean we're going to have to dig inside a bunch of dead people" groaned Matsuda.

"If you want the diamonds back," said Near.

"We'll get right on it," said Anthony.

Near sighed as the computer screen before him went blank. "Another case had been successful solved," he thought as he stretch his slender frame much the way a cat would. He had long ago left behind his childish baby fat and had sprinted up to be 6 ft tall in the end.

"Would you like some tea, Near," said Stephen, the member of their team who had been chosen to stay behind at the hotel tonight, to see to Near's need and make sure he went to sleep.

"Yes, that would be nice," replied Near, in his bored monotone voice." We'll be moving to another hotel tomorrow."

"Oh, so you solved the case," said Stephen," that was a curious case, with the way he died and all."

"What are you talking about?" said Near." Paban was hit by a car."

"If I had 10 million dollar, I'd look both ways before crossing the street," smirked Stephen.

"Well, then what is your theory, I'd love to know."

"He was curse by the spirit of Count Ladrón de Guevana, of course."

"Are you saying you believe in ghosts?"said Near.

"We'll we both believe in Shinigami, would a ghost be so much of a stretch," said Stephen, sitting down beside Near on the couch.

" I suppose not," said Near," but one would rather hope that once a soul passes into the next life, it remains there."

"Ah, but I have heard story of those who passing was not complete and they were pulled back to this world," said Stephen.

"By what?" said Near.

"It is always emotion that brings a spirit back to this earth."

"Then I know that I shall pass through with no problem at all," said Near, placing his finish cup of tea on the table.

"If we're moving again, "said Stephen," I better let you get some sleep."

"As you say," Near replied, getting up from the couch and noiselessly leaving the room.

Stephen sighed as he refilled his empty cup, sometime Near was rather like a phantom himself.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This is my first ghost story, though I have always wanted to write one. I

I not completely sure about a tire jack working one a stone coffin lid before as I have never seen it done, it is just a theory. If I'm wrong you can tell or I suggest you write to Mythbusters which is an awesome show.


	2. Chapter 2

Ace of Spade 2

Near subscribed to the theory that the best place to hide a piece of sand is in the desert. Therefore when they traveled from place to place, it was never in armored cars or sneaking up the back stairway, it was always in plain sight.

The usual ruse was Anthony as older brother/cousin/friend, and Halle as wife or sister of Anthony. Near allows wore a light blue baseball cap to hide his white hair, decreasing the amount of attention they would receive as much as possible. To all who looked at the trio the appeared to be just a family traveling and with nothing suspicious in their nature.

So when Near walked into the Great Salamander Hotelhe was surprises when a women grabbed his arm and pulled him away from his companions.

The woman was a slender, tall, women with long feathery, blond hair that flowed all the way to her hips. She reminded Near of the pictures of Will-'o- the-wisps he had seen in story books as child.

"Excuse me," said Anthony firmly," I must ask you what you want with my brother."

"I want only to warn him," she said, her voice a soft, sweet whisper from her pale lips.

"Is someone trying to hurt him," said Halle, her arm moving slightly towards her gun holster.

The woman shook her head," Not someone…something. It has been waiting here for him. I sensed it's presence a few days ago, it fills this whole building. So far it has remained tranquil, but with your coming it has awakened."

"Is she talking about a ghost?" said Halle, looking at her in degusted disbelief.

"Yes, the spirit who has come to haunt this place" the women said, turning her eyes directly upon them. They were large and black and seem a direct contrast to the rest of her face, like two dark holes buried within her pale skin.

"Pardon us, but we need to check in," said Anthony, grabbing Near's arm and pulling him away from the woman.

"But you are the only ones who can help it find peace. If you don't make contact with it, things will happen, horrible things," her voice rose higher with every word, until she was almost shrieking.

"We have to get away from her," said Halle," she drawing attention to us."

They tried to walk away but the women seemed determined to follow them and it would have been quite hopeless had the manager not come to their aid.

"Hello, can I help you? We heard some noise and--," he stopped when he saw the women beside them, scowled and said, "oh, it's you again. I told you not to come back here. I am issuing a restraining order against you and the next time you come here I will have the police arrest you."

The manger tried to grab her arm, but with a quick cat-like leap, she slipped away from him like a leaf in the wind. She silently ran away, turning one last time to look at Near with mysterious, onyx eyes.

The manager made his apologies again, before leaving them, obviously trying to hide his anger from them at the women disruption of his otherwise perfectly run hotel.

"What do you make of all that?" asked Halle.

Stephan entered the building and rushed over to them giving them a hug and a smile. Then he began to chat about how long it had been since he had seen them and how were their parents.

To those around them this would seem to be a simple greeting between long departed friends, but in truth it was a carefully arranged plan by the Near's Protection Committee if anything suspicious should arise.

After they had made a public show of their meeting, they gathered together in a somewhat secluded corner, making sure their express remained friendly and calm.

"What did you find, Stephan?" asked Anthony.

"We used the hotels security cameras to watch Near all the time but we didn't see anything really unusual. The lady in question was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed and didn't even stir until Near entered. It was only when he passed by her that she got excited."

"Maybe she was tipped off he was here with some sort of electronic device."

"No, when she was avoiding the manger grasp, we got a good look at both her ears and there was nothing in them."

"You mean that she just randomly picked Near out of a crowd?" said Halle.

"It would appear so," said Stephen.

"Or maybe there is a ghost waiting for me," said Near.

"I suppose there is that possibility," said Stephen.

"Stop being ridiculous," sighed Halle," let's just check in."

They rest of the process of checking in went as usual and the group seem quite satisfied that there was no real cause for concern, but Stephan choose to stay with them all the same.

Traveling from one hotel to another was always the same. The luggage was always light as they might have to leave a place at a moment's notice. They always got one large room, which might have seemed compromise to Halle, except for the fact that they slept in shifts, when they slept at all. It was important for all concerned that someone be able to assist Near twenty-four hours a day.

The Great Salamander suite was located on the top floor of the hotel. The elevator ride was as normal as to be expected, but when Near stepped out into the hallway he could not help but observe the was a definite change in the room.

The hallway was rather cold and clammy and rather quiet for a busy hotel. For him to deny that these changes were taken place would be to deny his sense of observation and to doubt that would be to question himself a true detective.

As they walked down the hallway the air grew colder and colder until Near could actually see his breath. Suddenly the walls around them began to shake and tremble, as if the walls themselves were shivering in fear.

Near began to hear the sound of the rattling of the handles and the locks as the shaking began to increase. Near felt his breath, his very heart beat, had suddenly become captive to the rhythm of the shaking around him. He looked up to see Halle trying to reach out to him, trying to say something but her words were lost amongst the rattling of the doors.

Suddenly Near felt the room changed from freezing to warm and from warm to searing heat. If his body was not in shock, Near felt that he would have screamed in agony. But then it was over, in an instant and the room became filled with great clouds of smoke.

The smoke triggered the fire alarm for a cascade of water from the sprinklers began to poor down upon Near.

Suddenly two pair of strong arms grabbed Near as Anthony literally dragged him down the hallway into the room and slammed the door behind him.

As soon as they were safely in the room Near begun to shiver again, as the air condition blew on his now soaking wet clothes.

"What's going on here?" yelled Halle.

"I'm calling the manager," said Anthony.

He picked up the phone," There is no dial tone."

"Use your cellphone," said Halle.

"These can't be," he said, astonished," it's dead."

Halle looked at her phone in disbelief," so is mine."

"We'll I'm going for help," said Anthony, heading back through the suite door.

Anthony jerked the hand only to find the door locked. Over and over he tried to open it but it remained obstinately locked. Anthony's anger began to rise as he finally began kicking the door hopelessly, in a last desperate act.

"Stop Anthony," said Near," this is no time to lose our heads. If we are to get through this, we must remain calm."

Anthony sighed and returned back to the group, "so what should we do?"

"We need to accept the fact that either we are dealing with some sort of fanatical master mind or…."

"Or?" asked Stephan.

"We are being haunted by a ghost."


End file.
